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New iPod magazine taps digital download trend

Posted: 16/02/06 By: Jemima Kiss
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A new fortnightly gossip magazine for iPods is setting out to prove that mobile content is a valid broadcast medium.

Mooky went on sale on Monday and was downloaded 1,400 times in its first three days. Producers Best Before predict that 2006 will be the year that mobile video content becomes a major broadcast medium, and are pushing the format to key publishers in the UK.

The 10-minute video magazine features gossip, news, music videos and competitions and can be downloaded free from the iTunes shop. The digital title is also available online, through an RSS feed and for Sony PSP users.

"This year will be the year when web 2.0 and user-generated content breaks through," said Mark Rock, managing director of design company Best Before and an experienced interactive TV games producer.

"Podcasting and mobile content is all about experimentation at the moment because no-one really knows what works. Broadcasters have often just put out recycled TV content but we're trying to do something new."

The aim is that Mooky will act as both a hub and an aggregator for the huge amount of news, gossip and images available online that might appeal to a twenty-something audience. One editor could not source everything, said Mr Rock, so content suggested by users is an essential part of the magazine. Mooky has already had submissions from South America, New Zealand and Germany.

Editors use a web-based interface to compile and style text and images, which the programme outputs as a video feed.

"The magazine is simple to put together so we can experiment with content," he said.

"We want to prove that the concept is of interest to advertisers, and we want to alert people to the medium. Podcasting doesn't just have to be someone in their front room teling you about their lives... it's a valid broadcast medium for advertisers and content owners."

Best Before is planning more video magazines using the same template but with different content, including a sports publication. It is also looking at special editions, focusing on single subjects like gadgets. The format acts as an 'empty shell', which the producers hope will make it attractive to publishers, broadcasters and advertisers looking for successful mobile content formats. Mr Rock said meetings are already planned with major UK publishers.

The podcast medium is less formal and serves more niche audiences than conventional broadcasting, he said. Content owners and advertisers can focus on targeting those niche demographics, and now recognise that they need to experiment with mobile video content because of the proliferation of devices.

"This is the beginning of a new meeting point between what advertising can do on the web and the ethos of TV."

• More cross-platform integration: From April, Sky TV users will be able to access retail websites through the interactive TV service. The Sky Net feature is likely to include big web brands such as Amazon and Play.com as well as high street brands. Subscribers use the TV remote to navigate through to sites and buy directly through the retail sites.

• BT this week announced that Virgin Mobile customers will be the first to receive live digital TV and radio on new 'tellyphones' later this year as part of its BT Movio launch.

• The BBC has also signed a deal with Orange to provide downloadable clips from popular comedy shows including the Office and the League of Gentlemen.